Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash makes a great low starch way to indulge your urge for
pasta. (Without the pasta, of course.) The DASH diet is not specifically a
low-carb plan. However, using spaghetti squash instead of pasta cuts the
calories dramatically. Many people with high blood pressure need to lose
weight, so this makes a great trick to reach your goals, without sacrificing
your favorite foods. All the materials you need are on the left.

Start by browning the ground beef. I always use 95% lean ground sirloin
to cut the fat content and calories. (Note: most ground turkey has added fat
and skin added during processing, and is higher in total and saturated fat.)

With the lean beef, there is no fat to drain off. Here I added frozen diced
onions directly to the cooking ground beef.

Next we added garlic (remove the skin by smashing it under the blade of
a chef's knife). You can either mince it or squeeze it through a garlic
press.

After the meat is fully browned, add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
You can choose a low added-salt to reduce the sodium content of the meal.
Then add Italian seasonings to your own taste.

Now for the spaghetti squash. Cut the squash in half first, and remove
the seeds. We didn't do this. We were very sorry that we did not. Boil for
40 minutes.

Then, you just pick up the squash lining just like pasta. Top with the
spaghetti sauce, and enjoy. Add a wonderful salad, and you have a low
calorie meal with about 5 servings of vegetables and 3 oz. lean meat.